Theft-preventing attachment for tanks



Dec. 30, 1930. 'r. w. HuGHEs TflEFT PREYENTING ATTACHMNT FOR TANKS FiledJan. 17, 1929 l l I I i 1 I i l L'. .......1

Patente lf 30, 1930 THOMAS H'U'GHES, OF RAWLINS, WYOMINGTHEFT-PREVENTING ATTACHMENT FOR TANKS Application flled January 17,1929. Serial No. 333,101.

This invention relates to theft preventing attachments for vtanks, andmore particularly to a device for preventing the theft of gasoline fromthe tanks of automobiles.

An important obj ect of the invention is to produce a device of thischaracter which may be readily modified in its construction to permitits adaptation to tanks of different characters, which may be installedin the tank with a minimum of efiort and will, upon installation, belocked within the tank, so that it may not be removed therefrom, andW-hich may be very readily .and cheaply manufactured.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide amember which may be inserted in the filling neck of a tank and which,when inserted 'provides in said filling neck a sharply reverted entrancechannel which, because of its structure, prevents lthe insertion offiexible tubes or the like, by means of which the contents vof the tankmi ht be siphoned therefrom.

still further object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which, by its application, provides a Splash guard, preventingloss of the contents of the tank in event the filling cap becomes lostor is stolen.

These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in theaccompanying drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown apreferred embodiment of my invention and wherein Figure 1 is a sectionalView through a tank, a theft preventing device constructed in accordancewith my invention being shown in osition therein;

igure 2 is a Vertical sectional view through the theft preventingdevice;

F igure 3 is a sectional view illustrating the device in position in adifferent form of tank inlet.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 10 generallydesigna-tes a tube closed at its lower end, as indicated at 11, andhaving an open top 12 provided with an out-turned flange 13. This tubeis of a size to enter the fillmg openlng 14 of the tank and the flangeis of a size permitting it to seat upon the lower wall 15 of thethreaded recess provided for the reception of the cap 16. In theillustration of Figure 1, the filling neck 1s in 'the form of a simplecasting 17 secured directly to the tank wall 18 and the mounting Justdescribed is employed with such structures. Some tanks are provided withfilling 'necks 19, the outer ends of which are exteriorly threaded forengagement by the cap 20. With such a structure, the flange 13 of thetube will seat against the outer end of the filling tube.

At one side and intermediate its ends, the tube 11 is formed with anopening 21 and a partition 22 extends from the upper end of the tube andabove this opening downwardly through the tube and has its lower endspaced from the bottom wall of the casing to provide communicationbetween the Channels 23 and 24 formed in the casing by the partition.The Channels 23 and 24 really constitute a single channel, the inlet endof which is the open mouth 12 of the tube and the outlet end of which isthe opening 21. This channel beingsharply reverted will prevent thepassage of a fiexible tube inserted for the purpose of siphoning out thecontents of the tank and, at the same time, the tube will act as aSplash preventer in event the cap 16 or 20 is removed.

Some suitable means is provided to lock the tube in position within thetank. This means may comprise springs 25 yielding to permit passage ofthe tube through the filling opening and then springing outwardly toengage beneath a shoulder 26 produced therein. vThe positioning of theseSprings will, of course, depend upon the type of opening in which thetube is to be disposed. In some cases, the tube 10 will not extendentirely into the tank but will be disposed within the filling neckthereof unless it is ,made of abnormal length, and in order to preventthe necessity for this, the wall of the tube from the opening 21 to itsbottom is formed With a groove 27 which Will permit passage of fluidfrom this opening to the exterior of the bottom of the tube. Breatheropenings 28 are formed in the tube adjacent the upper end thereof topermit passage of air and gases to the vent opening 29 of the cap.

Since the lconstruction employed is capable of a certain range of changeand modification without materially departing from the spirit of theinvention, I do not limit myself to such specific structure except ashereinafter claimed.

I claim '1. An anti-theft attachment for gasoline storage tanks ofvautomobiles and the like comprising a tube having a closed inner end4adapted tobe inserted in and locked inposition in the filling openingof the tank, the wall of the tube having an opening form'ed thereinintermediate its ends, -and a partition extending from one' side of thetube adjacent the top thereof downwardly through said tube to a pointadjacentI the bottom thereof and preventin g access to said openingthrou h the open end of the tube.

'2. n anti-theft attachment for gasoline storage tanks of automobilesand the like comprising a tube having a closed inner end adapted tobeinserted in and locked in position in the filling opening of the tank,the

, wall of the tube havmg an opening formed therein intermediate itsends, 'and a partition extending from one side of the tube adj acent thetop thereof downwardly through said tube to a point adjacent the bottomthereof and preventing access to said opening through the open end ofthe tube, the wall of the tube from said opening to the closed endthereof having a groove formed in its exterior.

3. The combination With a tank having a filling opening, of anexternally straight tube extending into the tank from the fillingopening and closed at its lower end and having a tortuous channelcommunicating at one end With the filling opening and the tank andcommunicating at its opposite end With the i tank at a point near saidopening, the channel being imperforate between its ends.

In testimony Whereof I hereunto afix my signature.

THOMAS W. HUGH'ES.

